


Candle, Candle, Burning Bright

by Night-Mare (Aoife)



Series: Cradle 'verse [15]
Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Author loves to chat in the Comments, Flame Active Character(s), Gen, Side Story, Unconventional Uses for Dying Will Flames
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 17:18:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10835775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare
Summary: Hayato loses his temper with his 'father' in theThe Hand That Rocks the Cradle Rules the World





	Candle, Candle, Burning Bright

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Rules the World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10607250) by [Night-Mare (Aoife)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aoife/pseuds/Night-Mare). 



He's _bored_. He gets why he has to learn this stuff; he wants to be Tsuna's Right Hand when he takes over the Vongola, which means learning how to be an _effective_ Right Hand, and what his Sky's strengths and weaknesses are so he can compensate. Squalo and Romario split that role for Dino, but he doesn't want to share it with Takeshi, or with Kyoya or Mukuro. It still doesn't make trailing around after Dino and Squalo at a Boss meeting enjoyable. He can't call Tsuna, Tsuna, either. Or Jyuudaime; he settles for Ciel, but it feels wrong on his tongue.

Even if his father is actually Shamal, and a Mist, he's still not comfortable with a Mist's ability to lie, and he prefers to tell the truth in ways that obfuscate, which was how he'd settled on Ciel.

Anyway. He's bored; this is tedious, all negotiations over small border issues. He allows his Flames to creep out, to spread through the room, and brush up against his Sky and to get a taste of who else here is _actually_ dangerous. A surprising number of the Dons only have latent Flames; though most of those have a bonded Guardian as their Right Hands anyway. In fact he only brushes up against three Active Skies other than 'his' two, and he tries to figure out who they are as he pulls his Flames back in.

One is probably the Vongola Ninth, given that there was a Storm at his back; the one with a Lightning, the Giglio Nero Donna, who they kept carefully away from; Reborn and Lal had promised to talk to her soon and bribe or coerce her into not revealing Tsuna. The last one, with the Sun, he's trying to identify, when a hand clamps on his shoulder, and he's yanked away from Tsuna and Dino.

He'd been distracted by playing with his Flames, and he panics, the memory of being snatched by the Estraneo flaring to life. The hissed demand from a man that he'd run from several years earlier adds to his panic and his Flames, close to the surface from the way he'd been using them and they _catch_.

There's heat and screaming and chatter around him, and he can't get a grip on his Flames, he just wants the threat _gone_ before it reaches Tsuna, and something is broken. The Flames aren't just red; there are flashes of yellow and green and blues and purples in them and several other Flame Users try to knock him out, knock him away from his 'father', but his Flames and his bond to Tsuna protect him, even as they keep his 'father' alive to burn.

The tranquility of Squalo's Flames, familiar, carried on the Harmony of Tsuna and Dino's Flames seeps through his own defences, and he shudders and drops into his Sky's arms. Safe. He's safe; the older two will keep his Sky safe -

The tranquility circles out further, a careful trick that Dino and Squalo had taught themselves; necessary for corralling eight preteen Flame Actives intent on rampaging. They probably overdo it, being used to having to overwhelm Kyoya and Tsuna with brute force, and the room stills around them. His 'father' is still burning, but he's stopped screaming and the Flames aren't trying to spread, and then he feels the man's latent Flames spluttering out, signalling his death.

Then he's cradled in Dino's arms, and Squalo has his Sword drawn and Tsuna's hands are alight with his Flames, and they're leaving and he's exhausted, his Flames almost burnt out, and if this is what Tsuna did to himself to get them both away from the Estraneo, he owes his Sky all the hugs in the world. It _sucks_.

"I'm taking my wards home, Don Vongola." Dino's voice is hard. "There is a reason Hayato and Bianchi sought Sanctuary with me, and that man was it." Three Skies Flames press against Hayato's and he misses the old bastard's response, but whatever was said enrages Dino and Squalo has to flare his Flames again to keep Dino from trying to kill the old man in front of the whole Alliance. "I will not _Seal_ my ward, Timoteo di Vongola. Not for defending himself from the man that abused him and his sister. I will _train_ him. Good day." Dino stalks stiffly out of the room, Hayato still in his arms and Tsuna, Flames curled up tight to avoid Timoteo's notice trails behind them.

**Author's Note:**

> ... Dino is not as overpowered as it may seem. He's using his Flames regularly, is angry, and resonates enough with Tsuna to borrow his strength. Aria and Nono could both overpower him, but it would take effort from the standing start they're both at. He has to tag team with Squalo to keep up with Xanxus, and Tsuna is almost his equal at this point, and has another eight-to-ten year's growth to go.


End file.
